Haley Elizabeth Hopkins (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Virginia Cavaliers. She was selected by the Courage 11th overall in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft.

Haley Hopkins
Hopkins with the North Carolina Courage in 2024
Personal information
Full name Haley Elizabeth Hopkins[1]
Date of birth (1998-12-21) December 21, 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Newport Beach, California
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
North Carolina Courage
Number 5
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Vanderbilt Commodores 58 (34)
2021–2022 Virginia Cavaliers 46 (22)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– North Carolina Courage 25 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 24, 2024

Early life

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Hopkins grew up in Newport Beach, California, with three siblings.[2][3] Her father played college football and baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1982 MLB draft.[4] Hopkins began playing soccer at age four.[5] She played youth soccer for Slammers FC of the Elite Clubs National League and Mater Dei High School, where she graduated in 2017.[6][7]

College career

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Hopkins began attending Vanderbilt University in 2017, but she played in only one game that year because of knee pain that required multiple surgeries.[8] In 2018, as a redshirt freshman, she led the team with 14 goals and 7 assists and was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year.[2] Majoring in medicine, health, and society, she interned with a medical clinic in Nashville over the summer of 2019.[2] She continued leading the Commodores with 13 goals as a redshirt sophomore in 2019.[6] She dealt with injuries the next year but still had a team-leading seven goals and helped the Commodores win the 2020 SEC tournament.[5][6] With the second-most goals in Vanderbilt history (34), she was named All-SEC all three of her full seasons and third-team All-American twice.[4]

Hopkins transferred to the University of Virginia in 2021 as a graduate student in the School of Medicine.[9] She scored twice on her debut, and the next year she scored a hat trick in the first 15 minutes of a game against Fairleigh Dickinson.[4][10] In the 2022 NCAA tournament, she scored in overtime against Penn State to help the Cavaliers reach the quarterfinals.[11] She finished her college career with 22 goals for Virginia, being named All-ACC both years she played in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[3][12]

Club career

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North Carolina Courage, 2023–

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The North Carolina Courage, which had multiple first-round picks in the 2023 NWSL Draft, selected Hopkins 11th overall.[13] She was signed to a three-year contract.[14] She made her professional debut on April 1 against San Diego Wave FC and earned her first start in a game against the Washington Spirit on April 15.[15] She scored her first two professional goals in a 5–0 Challenge Cup win against the Orlando Pride on July 29.[16] She scored her first regular-season goal in a 3–3 draw to Gotham on September 2.[17][18] She started for the Courage in the Challenge Cup final on September 9, in which they defeated Racing Louisville FC 2–0.[19]

Personal life

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In July 2024, Hopkins was one of five active NWSL players who represented the NWSL Players Association at the final negotiations in Philadelphia that updated the league's collective bargaining agreement through 2030.[20]

Honors

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North Carolina Courage

References

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  1. ^ {{cite web| url=https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-wp0/wp-content/uploads/sites/321/2021/05/24203056/REVISED-FINAL-Vanderbilt-University-Class-of-2021-Commencement-Program_3.pdf |title=Vanderbilt University Class of 2021 Commencement Program |page=14 |accessdate=December 22, 2024 |publisher=Vanderbilt University
  2. ^ a b c Bishop, Chad (October 10, 2019). "West Coast to West End". Vanderbilt University Athletics. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Haley Hopkins". Virginia Cavaliers. July 28, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Conlin, Bennett (August 20, 2021). "Grad transfer Haley Hopkins follows in father's footsteps in move to Virginia". The Daily Progress. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Haley Hopkins". Vanderbilt University Athletics. May 4, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Virginia Women's Soccer Adds Grad Transfer Haley Hopkins". Virginia Cavaliers. June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  7. ^ "Hopkins has the golden touch at the right time for Mater Dei". The Orange County Register. February 28, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Klein, Cutler (September 9, 2018). "From PICC Lines to Picking Corners: Haley Hopkins heating up after medical scare". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Hopkins Embracing Life as Cavalier". Virginia Cavaliers. September 15, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  10. ^ Newton, Matt (August 28, 2022). "Hopkins Scores Hat Trick, No. 8 UVA Women's Soccer Powers Past Fairleigh Dickinson 5-0". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Region/state roundup: Haley Hopkins' OT goal sparks Virginia women's soccer team to NCAA quarterfinals". The Virginian-Pilot. November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "Haley Hopkins". North Carolina Courage. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. ^ Newton, Matt (January 13, 2023). "Spaanstra & Hopkins Drafted Back-to-Back in First Round of NWSL Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ^ "Courage sign all four 2023 draft picks". North Carolina Courage. March 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  15. ^ "Haley Hopkins 2023 Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "North Carolina top Orlando in emphatic five-goal outing". National Women's Soccer League. July 29, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  17. ^ "Week 18 Review: NWSL Pitch Notes". National Women's Soccer League. September 5, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Connor, Caroline (October 6, 2023). "Hoos in the NWSL". The Cavalier Daily. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  19. ^ "Champions! Courage claim Challenge Cup with 2-0 win Saturday". North Carolina Courage. September 9, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Yang, Steph (August 22, 2024). "Inside NWSL and the players' union's new CBA after 10 months of bargaining". The Athletic. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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